Infiltration
by LilNinjaWolf
Summary: The only way to destroy the enemy may be to join their ranks and strike from within, whether you want to or not.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: **I know it's been quite awhile, but I've found my way back into writing again. Still have a lot going on with college and work, but both have become less demanding, so what do you do with more time on your hands, but to write? :) The goal is to update every Friday, though it might be every other Friday since every week is different for me. I'll be trying to finish Dark Angel as well, hoping to update that next week. Anyway, hope you enjoy this one.

Disclaimer: Sadly, the ninja turtles are not mine, just the twisted plot.

**Chapter One**

A flash sings through the dark.

The light was blinding, even through his closed eye lids. Fading slowing until it finally allowed him to part his clenched eyes open ever so slightly. Metal walls encompassing a small metal room around him was the only thing to be seen. The gleaming silver of the walls dripped with a dark grime that seemed to reach out for him with long spindy fingers tips.

The left over light faded to pitch darkness, leaving him in the quiet. So very quiet. Silent enough to allow the shuddering of breath to reach his ears, quickening his pulse until he realized it was his own breathing and his alone.

Lurching threw his hunched form forward, skidding on his plastron to the middle of the room. A sickening movement that had bile rushing up the back of his throat, making his stomach swirl with uneasiness.

The floor beneath him was moving.

No… the room was moving.

_Is that possible?_

A flash of blinding light once more burns through his eyes, forcing him to slam them shut again as he slowly pushed himself up to a sitting position, fighting to keep the dizziness at bay, pushing himself back against the wall for support.

A low rumbling is heard, filling his ears as he blinks away the blinding light. A shake of the head returns the dizziness with full force, his stomach ready to finally dispel whatever it was he last ate despite his fight against it. He could only turn his head in time before the sickening bile was retched onto the floor. Groaning afterward, he pushed out a shuddering breath, clenching his eyes tightly for the moment, listening to his surroundings in attempt to distract his attention from the vile left over taste in his mouth. The more he listened, the louder the sound around him became, the rumbling of an engine somewhere behind him. The flashes continued intermittingly, a pattern never broken of light and darkness. The only thing he could think of was a van driving through the streets of the city.

Opening his eyes once more, he flexed his fingers as the feeling returned to them, however slightly, as they scraped the wall behind him. Turning his wrists, his skin rubbed painfully against the rope tightly secured against him. "Figures… Drugged and tied," he whispered under his breath as more awareness came to him. What had he gotten himself into this time? His gaze slowly swept the room, taking in what he could during each flash of light as he became accustomed to it. The back of the van was empty, not even carpet graced the floor of the vehicle. The back doors held two large black tinted windows that just barely allowed the light from the passing street lights.

Another steadying breath escaped him as he tried to recall just how he had gotten here, no memory immediately forthcoming. "Ok Leo, focus. How did you get here?" he muttered to himself, pushing back the nausea that filled his gut once more. The only reassurance he had of his situation was that he was alone. Whoever had him didn't have his family too. Or so he thought. There was also the possibility that all of them were captured, each driven in a different van. The thought made his heart skip a beat. Straining his ears, he listened for other vehicles, sure that he would hear more.

Hearing no other, he let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He must be alone, his brothers free and alive. He could only hope so. He would not wish this on them in the slightest. He was glad it was him and not them, but even he would not wish this on himself. Would they start looking for him soon? Did they even know he was missing? How long had he even been in this situation?

Pushing away the questions he couldn't answer, Leonardo focused on getting his feet underneath him as he managed to stand on wobbly legs. A small groan escaping him as dizziness swarmed through him. He grit his teeth as the feeling passed, the only swaying coming from the movement of the van now. Slowly crossing the expanse to the back doors, he tried to peer through the thick black glass, cautious of letting anyone outside see his form. He need not have worried as he saw nothing but endless road behind them, the city disappearing into the horizon as the last flash of light blinked through the darkened van.

"Where are they taking me?" Leo murmured to himself. "And who are they?"

He forced himself to think, to remember why he was here. He could remember flashes of a fight, bits and pieces slowly coming together to show a whole.

"The Foot," Leo growled out under his breath as the memory resurfaced, albeit slowly, but surely.

"_Yo Leo, when yer done day dreaming over there, come have a look at this," Raph murmured in amusement, his knuckles cracking softly in the night. "Punks just don't know when to quit."_

_Leo shook his head from his inward thoughts, turning away from the sight of the moon and stars above them. There would be another time to reflect on the stars above them. The night around them had been still thus far on their trek through the city, a blessing he didn't take for granted. For once it was just him and Raph, getting along and working together like he dreamed they would. It almost felt like it really was a dream. He considered pinching himself, but pushed the ludicrous thought aside. This was no dream, just a good night out with his brother. He couldn't deny both of them needed it. _

_He pulled his foot down from its perch on the side of the rooftop and strode to the other side of it where Raphael crouched, looking down at the alley blow. Dropping down into a crouch beside him, he glanced down into the alley. Upon first glance, it was as he first expected, a dark and grim hallway between skyscrapers. Much darker than the usual hallway found inside a building, though nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Sweeping his gaze through the dank alleyway once more, he spotted what he knew had his brother's attention. A small group of Purple dragons standing beside the side entrance of a jewelry store, a few of them entering the building._

"_We can take 'em," Raph whispered confidently._

"_I don't know Raph," Leo admitted softly. "There's most likely more inside. We could easily become outnumbered and have the odds turned against us."_

_Raph snorted. "Turtle luck true to form." He glanced over at his blue banded brother. "Never stopped us before." A small smirk graced his face as he nudged his brother in the shoulder. "I'll even let ya lead us in."_

_Leo shook his head in wry amusement, his mind mulling over the best tactic to take care of this quickly and efficiently. "Alright. We stick together and go in together. We still don't know how many of them are inside."_

"_Wouldn't dream of it bro."_

"_That's what I'm afraid of…"_

_Raphael stood, slipping his sai from his belt and twirling them through his fingers. "Well then, after you."_

_With a curt nod, Leonardo stood and leapt over the side of the building, feet landing silently on the fire escape secured to the building's wall. Flipping back over the rail, he gracefully made his way down to street level, floor by floor, landing in a crouch on the pavement, katana in each hand stretched out horizontally as a counter balance. A near silent thump beside him assured him that his brother had made his way down quietly for once. _

_Glancing up, Leo watched the half a dozen dragons still outside the shop, moving in a small circular pattern as if to protect those inside the building. He spotted many errors with the way they held their pipes, chains, and even a lone gun. He had no doubt that this would be an easy battle. The presence of the gun, an ancient styled rifle, still gave him cause for alarm. He pointed out the deadly weapon to his brother, gesturing him to be careful, and getting a shrug of confident indifference in response. Pushing back the huff of annoyance of a threat not fully realized by his brother, Leonardo stood up straight to his full height, slipping through the shadows of the alleyway until he was right next to the gun wielder._

"_It's not wise to break into a building with a gun not knowing how to use it," Leo spoke softly, but with enough warning to spook the young Purple Dragon._

_The Dragon in question jerked towards the sound of his voice, bringing the rifle up to bear, unwittingly right up into Leo's face. "Who's there?"_

"_Not wise to fling that thing around either," the gravely voice of his brother sounded behind the gunner. "Ya could get hurt." The last word was punctuated with a swiping kick to the man's knees, a shot going off as the Dragon fell to the ground._

_Leo ducked to the ground, saved only by his reflexes honed through years of training and awkward angle of the Dragon's aim. "Watch it Raph!"_

"_Sorry bro."_

_Rolling out of the aim of the shooter, Leo brought himself up into the face of another Dragon, who's pipe was swinging for his face. He brought his right katana upward, slicing the metal through like butter, his left leg knocking the punk to the ground with a pained yelp._

"_You're going down freak!" a third dragon roared, his chain swirling madly in the darkness of the night._

_Leo ducked for the second time that night, letting the length of the chain arc above his head, leaving the Dragon's unprotected stomach within reach. He kicked out with something his brother might only call a mule kick. Not ninjitsu in the slightest, but it worked, pushing the dragon back as he let loose a spinning kick to propel the man into the alley wall. Landing in a crouch, he nearly had his head bashed in by another pipe. This one being wielded by a large muscled man, half the size of Hun, but still just as deadly. Rolling out of the man's way, Leo jumped up into a round house kick, knocking the dragon back, but missing the leg the Dragon thrust out at him. Taking the impact of the attack, Leo rolled backwards with it until he was on his feet once more and leapt forward, bringing both swords to the forefront as the two connected once more, pipe to katana blade. The round metal held for a moment before being slid through and knocked from the Dragon's hand. A round house kick to the Dragon's head had him down on the ground. _

_A quick surveillance of the alleyway showed the gunner and another dragon down at his brother's feet, Raphael throwing a fisted punch to the face of the third one. Unease rolled through Leo's stomach as he didn't see any sign of the gun. A second shot that night rang out into the quiet, the red banded turtle ducking, but not enough to escape the racing bullet as a line of blood slowly trickled visibly down his arm._

"_Raph!" Heart lurching in his chest, Leo whirled around to find the source of the shot. _

"_Just a graze," Raph growled out, hand whipping off the blood before he leapt to a glint in the darkness before Leo could stop him. The new gunner was knocked down with a vicious mule kick to the hand, the gun skittering across the pavement. The Dragon looked to the gun dumbly, glanced at Raph, and back at the gun, a wicked smirk crossing his face as he dove for the gun where it had stopped near the jewelry store door._

_With a jerk both Leo and Raph jumped forward, Raphael making it to the Dragon and gun first as the two landed in a tumbling heap, rolling inside the building. Racing in behind them, Leo pulled up short, eyes narrowed upon what he saw. No other Purple Dragons stood in front of them, but he wasn't happier with their new situation. "Shell…" he groaned, eyeing the flood of Foot ninjas staring back at them, unmoving from their semi circle around the doorway. A quick scan around the small store looked to be about three dozen ninja._

_Raph socked the Dragon in the mouth as the man tried to recover his grip on the gun, knocking the man unconscious. "Ah shell…" he breathed as he slowly stood up from the tangled sprawl he and the Purple Dragon had found been in. He twirled his sai in his fingers as he fell into a battle ready stance, right sai twitching in invitation to attack. "Make my day," he growled softly._

_Leonardo smoothly fell into a defensive stance as the first wave of ninja attacked, swarming around the two turtles and quickly separating them. Exhaling in frustration upon being separated so quickly, the only thing he found himself doing was blocking attack after attack. One blade ringing off another as the enemy's blade was halted before it could cut into his green skin. Parrying another swing, he swung forward with his left blade, knocking a sword from the ninja's fingers, turning into a sweeping low kick with his right leg, successfully knocking four of the ninja to the ground. Quickly being replaced, they lunged forward once more, kicking out at him while another swung for a lethal strike at his head, another for a swipe at his side. A roll to the left saved him from both attacks, however he quickly brought both swords to bear in front of him, crossing them to block the attack to his chest. Leonardo gritted his teeth as he moved with their attacks, blocking the next, slipping in a downward strike, followed by parrying another blade. If he didn't know better, he almost thought their attacks were more vicious tonight, more lethal, yet more hazardous, to both him and themselves. The look in the whites of their masks almost screamed desperation. Something was not as it seemed and Leonardo didn't want to find out what that was. _

"_Raphael, retreat!" he yelled over the roar of the clashing blades of the battle._

"_Retreat? Ya know that's not my style bro. 'Sides," Raph grunted, a loud clang reverberating from the far side of the room. "I think we're winning."_

"_Are you kidding me?" Leo barely ducked the strike to his shoulder, rolling into a low sweep, and coming up to snap kick the unfortunate ninja in front of him. "We need to…" A sting in his left arm broke off his sentence, jerking his attention to the ninja pointing a large, gleaming gun at him as the black clad warrior stuffed another feathered bullet down the barrel. His left hand quickly reached to pluck the large dart from his bicep, tossing it to the ground with a clink. _

"_Leo!"_

_He barely heard his brother call out his name as the sounds of the battle waging around him started to fade in and out. He swung his blade to block a swing to his side, finding his movement sloppy and just barely able to deflect the blow. He blinked rapidly as the amount of ninjas started to double and then triple before him. He shook his head, finding his weapons becoming heavier in his grasp. His gaze locked onto the ninja holding the tranquilizer gun as the ninja turned to fire off another shot in the direction of his brother. Time moved even slower as he forced his way sloppily towards the ninja, the next shot slamming into his leg as he slammed into ninja. Groaning at the shock of the shot, he could only feel himself being rolled away from the tangle of limbs, his vision going nearly dark as he could only force his limps to flop a few times before it faded to a slight twitch. His eyes watched as the third shot sailed successfully through the air, landing in his brother's arm as the red banded turtle fought to get though the last of the ninja standing in his way. Seven ninja fell to the quick and enraged strikes of the red banded turtle until he fell to one knee, panting for breath as the last five ninja rained down upon him._

"_Raph…" Leo weakly called out in horror at the black mass in the center of the store. His vision continued to darken as he fought desperately to stay awake. The black pile finally moved away from his brother, his heart pained at the sight afterwards. Raphael lay motionless and bleeding from dozens of cuts. Leo was only relieved none of them looked life threatening in his hazy state, but the amount of blood coating his brother didn't quell his fears._

"_Can we kill him?" one of the ninja questioned, poking at the motionless form._

_The room was silent for a moment as one ninja's hand twitched, clutching the blade tighter._

"_Leave him."_

_All heads swiveled to the Elite Guard striding into the room. The four warriors barely paid a glance to the turtle in red as they stopped next to Leonardo, glaring down at him with hate and something of contempt. _

"_We're running out of time," the leader of the Elite guard spoke, kneeling down next to Leonardo. "We have what we need. We must leave now if we are to make the appointment. Not a second late," the dark voice of the Elite ground out in frustration._

_His world blackened completely before he could panic at just what the Foot had in mind._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The world outside the glass windows of the van had long ago gone dark. No longer was there even a building in sight, just a long stretch of wide road. A few cars passed them on the highway forcing him to duck from the beams of the headlights shining through the window to avoid being seen. Even then, the amount of cars dwindled to nothing. The hard tarmac of the highway soon turned to a gravel road as they turned off into what he could only assume to be the middle of nowhere.

Leonardo frowned in thought as he sank down to a near lotus position. He kept his breathing calm, pushed back the lingering feeling of bile in the back of his throat. The sickening feeling of whatever drug they had used had nearly faded away. His fingers twitched behind him, wrists twisting within the ropes that still held him tightly bound. His concern for his current predicament and gut wrenching need to know what had happened to Raph after he blacked out only growing with each passing mile. The sound of his heart beating in his chest his only companion, he focused on keeping himself calm. There was nothing he could do as of yet but wait.

The journey continued on, time passing without meaning. The darkness remained giving no clue as to how long it had been since they had left the city. The stop was abrupt, jarring him forward, his forehead lightly bouncing off the back doors of the van. Shaking his head, he climbed to his feet, flexing his fingers behind him in readiness. A breath blew past his lips in a slow exhale. If he was to find Raphael, he needed to stay collected and calm enough to escape.

All plans went out the proverbial window as soon as the back doors to the van swung open, four flashlights instantly shining into the dark interior, blinding him with their intensity. Slamming his eyes shut, he back up a few steps, listening. "So much for darting out…" he mumbled under his breath. A metal tink sounded off the floor of the van as an object bounced and rolled across the metal surface beneath his feet. Eyes flashing open momentarily, Leo made a leap towards the doors as a loud hissing sounded beneath him, quickly surrounding him in a thick smoke, choking him, squeezing out all the clear oxygen from his lungs. He landed on the ground outside the van, coughing and shaking his head back and forth, willing clean air into his lungs, willing his eyes to stop watering as he felt a tingling through his limbs.

Hands jerked him upward to his feet as he hacked out the last cough that wracked his frame. Inhaling the clean air, he pried his eyes open, only one flashlight pointing at him now. Squinting in the brightness, Leo felt his limbs go numb as he barely had the strength to put one foot in front of another as they started to drag him forwards.

Eyes narrowed, Leo watched each of the members of the Foot surrounding him, shoving him along, having difficulty just keeping his feet moving of his own power. There was roughly two dozen Foot soldiers, half a dozen Foot Techs, and finally the Foot Elite Guard. There was no visible option for escape as the many ninja seemed to form a constant circle around him as they walked, leaving no opening for him to see. What he could see above their heads didn't give him much hope either. They seemed to be in a clearing of a forest. If only they were closer to the trees, he could attempt a leap upward to the safety of the branches.

The walk continued for another few feet, each ninja silent and stiff. Stopping in what must have been the center of the clearing, the group waited quietly. Even the creatures of the night seemed to wait in silence for what was to unfold before them.

"Were you successful?" a dark voice asked.

The ninja parted slightly to allow the Foot Elite to the front of the group. "Only if you have held up your end of the bargain," one Elite ninja spoke lowly.

"Oh, but of course. I am a man of my word after all," was the answering reply, cold enough to send shivers down Leonardo's spine. He had no doubt of the identity of the man the Foot had come to meet. His only question was why they would help the man.

"You first then," the Elite grunted.

"So distrustful I see. Very well." A clapping of hands sounded and a feminine grunt sounded through the silent night. "Mostly unharmed and whole unfortunately."

The Foot soldiers parted at some invisible signal, others pushing Leo further forward, his eyes landing first on the woman lying on the ground before them. She was bound as he was, her slim arms behind her as she lay sprawled upon the ground. The long shin length dress was torn, ripped down her right side, the spaghetti strap over her left shoulder falling down her arm. Black shoulder length hair covered her face in ragged tatters. Hidden as her face was, Leo could not mistake the form of Karai before them. Bruises littered her skin, blood ran down her right leg. Enemies as they were, Leonardo couldn't help but wonder how she had fallen into trouble, how much harm she had been put through.

"So you were successful…" the voice drawled, drawing Leo's attention, the dark glasses present across his face even in the darkness of the night that surrounded them. His trench coat flapped lazily in the slight breeze of the clearing.

"Bishop," Leo hissed under his breath.

The man walked right up to the turtle in blue, smirking in his confidence with the current situation. "A simple trade Leonardo. For you see, I managed to capture the young ninja "Mistress" as her ninja meddled in one of my operations." The word mistress left the man's lips coldly, mocking the woman behind him even as the Foot ninja shifted in agitation. "She was just a means to you my friend," he continued smoothly. "As much as I've had my fun with her," he glanced back at Karai, her eyes coming up to glare at the man between her parted hair. "It's time to move on. I have other plans, plans that include you." Bishop's smirk grew as he shifted his glasses. "The Foot was so easy to convince to help me in capturing you to save their little wench."

A young Foot ninja suddenly leapt forward, sword unsheathed, arching for Bishop's neck.

Bishop side stepped to the left, ducked under the arch of the blade, and shot his right leg out in a powerful kick as he came up once more. The ninja landed hard on the ground, quickly pulled back into the crowd of ninja. Bishop straightened his black coat, flicking off a piece of invisible lint. "So quick to action. You would do well to control your men," he said mockingly helpful to the Elite Guard. The leader of the Elite stiffed, eyes narrowed as he held his tongue, Bishop's self satisfied smirk growing just slightly.

"But enough of that. Time is wasting and we can have none of that now can we?" He turned his back, gesturing to his own men who advanced forward, reaching for him.

Leo backpedaled out of their reach only to land against the wall of ninja behind him, shoving him forward once again. Bishop's men grabbed his arms, dragged him forward, his feet tripping beneath him as the effects of the gas continued to weigh him down. His eyes caught Karai's gaze, a lingering hint of fear in her orbs before it vanished, her head turning away from him as she broke their gaze. Leo was quickly shuffled into another van, this one bigger than the last. He landed with a thud on the cold metal floor, two men with guns entering as the doors slammed shut behind them. He glared at them, willing his limbs to move, to allow him to push himself up without success.

"Welcome to the fun Leonardo," Bishop's voice called from the doors of the van. Seconds later, the van started moving forward.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Moaning pierced the silence, reaching his ears. For a moment he wondered if someone was nearby, suffering as he was. To his horror, he realized it was his own as the sound again pierced the silence, rumbling in his throat and ending in a whine he was glad no one could hear. Swallowing, he pushed out a breath to calm the feeling of dizziness swimming through his head. Licking dry lips, he tasted crusted blood as he tried to remember just what had happened. Scant thoughts of a fight flitted through his hazy mind. Shaking his head to clear it, he pushed it aside for the moment and forced himself to open his eyes.

The ground stared up at him, teasing him from more than a dozen feet below his head. Upside down, he jerked without thought, trying to get himself down as panic tried to rise to the surface. He couldn't figure how he gotten himself up here. If he had even done this to himself to begin with… The fight with the Foot slowly came to his mind, fighting alongside his brother until he lost consciousness.

"Leo…" he breathed, worry for what might have happened to his brother filling his mind.

Craning his neck, he looked around himself to take stock of the situation. His right ankle was trapped within a couple lines of clothes lines that stretched from one building to another. His left foot was free, dangling behind him, his arms reaching for a ground he couldn't reach.

"Just great…" he muttered. "They had to leave me up here. Why not just finish it?" Not that he wasn't grateful to still be alive, but what was the use of hanging him up like this? Did they think this was some kind of joke?

"Hey look, the freak's waking up!" one voice shouted excitedly, quickly shushed by another.

"You want the cops showing up? Or the Foot to come back? They probably didn't just leave him in the store for a reason. Now go get the others!"

Raph's gaze flickered to the far end of the alley below him where a couple Purple Dragons stood staring at him before one of them rushed off to presumably get back up. His brow furrowed in confusion. The Foot had just left him? They weren't the ones to leave him upside down high above an alley? He groaned. He was never going to live this one down, not if Mikey had anything to say about it. Thinking of the rest of his family, he knew they had to be concerned. Hell, the sky looked light blue as if the sun was beginning to rise in the next hour. Even he would be concerned, in his own way, if any of his brothers hadn't been home yet. Despite this, he was still loathe to call them why still handing in mid air. Scowling, he reached upward, fingers trying to reach for the clothes line wrapped around his ankle. The sudden change in position had the blood rushing out of his head, leaving him dizzier than before, pain curling through his side and leg from the earlier fight. Fingers brushing the wire, he fell back, swinging from the amount of movement, blood rushing back into his head.

"Well that was a great idea…" he muttered to himself as he swung back and forth. He couldn't even grasp the line long enough to undo it, let alone stay bent upward long enough without feeling like he was going to lose anything still left in his stomach. Bracing himself, he made another attempt, fingers curling under the wire as he tried to loosen its tight hold on his ankle before falling back into a hanging position once more with the same result as the first time. As much as it pained him to admit it, he would need a little help on his one whether it stung his pride or not. Reaching for his shell cell, he was alarmed to find it missing from his belt.

"Looking for this?" the lone Purple Dragon called up to him. "A dumb freak doesn't need this to get down. Don't even know how ya know how ta use it," the man in black dreadlocks goaded the hanging turtle.

Red coloring his vision, he squirmed, reaching for the man so far below him, if he would even call the punk a man at all. He caught a glimpse of the rest of the Purple Dragons he and his brother had fought filling the alley, his stomach dropping more if it could. This was not going to be good. "Yer going to have to do better than that if you're hoping to break me," he threatened with an underlying growl.

"Oh we will ya freak," the group's leader laughed up at him, standing directly below him. "We will."

"I'll show ya freak!" Raph lunched for the punk, arms flailing as he swung back and forth, ankle still secure to the clothes line.

"Ya know, it's not nice to tease Mr. Raphie," a voice called out from the far end of the alley, followed quickly by a throwing star imbedding itself into the ground at the Dragon's feet.

"You might lose a few fingers," another voice warned, stepping out of the shadows with the other figure behind him.

Raph breathed out a faint laugh. If he wasn't upside down with all the blood rushing to his head, he might have been offended by his brother's use of his childish nickname. As it was, he was a little more than happy to see them.

The fight between his brothers and the dragons broke out quickly, the two turtles slowly separating from each other. Three came at Donatello with swinging chains. "Left Don, duck to the left!" he called out, itching to be a part of the fight below him. Don moved in the indicated direction, before swiping two out of three off of their feet with a swing of his bo. Raph's gaze switched over to Mikey who was faring pretty well, blocking incoming bats and ducking under chains. His fingers twitched as Mikey turned into a round house kick, chucks swinging around as he landed, though his brother didn't see the taller Dragon sneaking up behind him. "Mikey! Behind you!" he warned.

Mikey swung around, dodging the incoming knife as Don jumped in from the side, knocking away the knife and tripping him to the ground. A hard tap from one of Mikey's chucks had the last Dragon unconscious on the ground. "Thanks for the heads up dude. Of course, that's about all you can do up there," he laughed, sliding his chucks into his belt.

"Yeah, yeah, just get me down from here," Raph grumped.

"But that's a good look for you bro. Your face is about as red as your mask!"

"Mikey when I get down from here, yer going to wish you hadn't said that."

Mikey's nervous gulp was audible all the way up to where Raph hung. "Can't we just leave him up there?"

Don sighed and shook his head. "No Mikey. We're going to get him down from there."

"How's that? I don't think he wants to go splat on the pavement."

"We'll go up and cut one side free. Therefore you'll be able to flip up and catch the side of the other building," Don called the plan up to Raph.

"Sounds good enough for me." Frankly, all he wanted to do was get down and lie down. He braced himself as his brothers quickly scrambled up one of the buildings, stopping where one side of the line was tied securely to the brickwork.

"Ready Raph?"

"Just do it," he called back, ready to flip himself. The line was quickly cut through with a shuriken, letting him swing over to the other building. He jerked himself upright to grasp the line like he had done earlier, except this time he held on for a moment before reaching for the window sill of the building as he slammed into it, biting down on a groan, muscles shaking as his fingers held. Heart pounding, he pushed himself up the two feet to the rooftop and collapsed in pain and exhaustion, breathing heavily in attempt to catch his breath. The blood that still covered his body was dry except for his side which trembled from the exertion of the flip he had just done to make it up to safety. It slowly leaked blood, but wasn't anything he was worried about. Don was here, everything would be alright.

"Nice work Raph, you'll make one heck of a gymnast one day," Mikey commented with a chuckle as he and Don joined Raph on the roof.

"Not funny goofball," Raph groaned, feeling as if he could just lay there for hours. He barely opened tired eyes as he felt his brother checking his wounds.

"Nothing broken, some blood loss and your side is still leaking, but doesn't look life threatening. How many fingers am I hold up?" he asked holding up a couple of fingers in front of his brother's face.

"Two braniac," he answered with a shake of his head as he managed to sit up, biting back a grimace. Looking up at the brightening sky, he glanced back to his brothers before realizing they were still one short. "Where's Leo?"

Mikey rubbed the back of his neck, refusing to meet Raph's eyes. "We uh… were kind of hoping he was with you…"

"What happened?" Don asked softly, fussing over his brother's side with what he had in his carry-on bag, gauze quickly sealing the wound.

Raph glanced up at the brightening sky, knowing they were running out of time and could soon be easily spotted, a voice somewhat like Leo's confirming that in his head. "We found some Purple Dragons, slipped in the shop, and got jumped by the Foot," he quickly summarized. Gauze in place, he slowly made it to his feet, looking over the side of the building, hoping that the shop was nearby, that he hadn't been dragged off too far by the Dragons. "Don't know what happened after I blacked out," he admitted softly, albeit a bit painfully just thinking on the situation he had just gotten out of. "Just woke up dangling." His eyes slowly scanned the buildings as he took a few steps closer to the edge of the building until he pointed to one standing out in the quiet light of the barely rising sun. "That's the one."

Don peered over the edge, Mikey right beside the two of them. "We already checked it before we found you," Don answered faintly, voice thick with worry. "It looked broken into… There's nothing there though. A few spots of blood, evidence of a fight. Just… no bodies."

"Then… where is he?" Mikey asked no one in particular, concern and worry flooding his voice.

"I don't know, but we'll find him," Raph promised, clenching his fists tightly in determination. "Let's search the surrounding alleys and head home. As much as I hate it, we won't do Leo any good getting spotted."

Don nodded and led the trio down to street level in silence. By the look in his eyes, Raph could see the worry for two brothers, one missing and one injured. For the most part he was just very sore, but he knew Don was itching to patch him up better. Even a shower called out to him, but the need to find Leo filled his mind. What if his brother was out here lying lifeless in an alley?

As the sun finally pushed itself over the horizon, the three turtles had to admit defeat. The surrounding alleys held nothing of interest. No Foot, no Dragons, no Leo. With a heavy heart, Raphael walked with his brothers, leaning against Don from sheer exhaustion and pain as they made their way home one turtle short.

"We'll find you Leo, I promise," Raph whispered softly to himself. As soon as the night blanketed the city, he would be out searching again, wounds or no wounds. He would not leave his brother alone and behind.

**A/N:** Sorry for such a long delay. Only excuse is college, but never meant for the wait to be so long. Hopefully the chapter was still enjoyable. Reviews and constructive criticism are appreciated, flames will be torched and handed over to Raphael for an untimely death. Good news is, the next chapter is nearly complete and shall be posted next Friday. :)


	4. Chapter 4

_As promised, here is the next chapter. Getting a little dark here, I may have to up the rating, but we shall see. But for now, please enjoy and reviews bring much encouragement. ;)_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

The blinking of lights flashed across his eyes once more, these ones more florescent in nature compared to the street lights of the city peering through darkened van windows. They hung above his head spread four feet apart, each just as bright as the next as he was rolled down the hallway underneath them. His head lolled to the right, the pounding of little hammers within his skull. Bits and pieces flashed back into his mind with each flash of the passing overhead light.

_Being thrown into Bishop's van… _

_His two cold companions toting __guns,__ silent in the dark…_

_The long drive in what he could only fathom was __heading the__ deeper into the forest, deeper into the countryside. Further from his family. _

_Slowly regaining the use of his limbs, allowing himself to sit up__, he glared__ at the men with unease. They moved faster than he could react to, one of them shoving him against the wall of the van, the other holstering his large rifle, a needle finding its way into the man's hand. The silver tip __disappeared__ into green flesh, emptying its clear liquid into his bloodstream. Muscles weakening again, he felt himself falling. Falling from the man's grip, falling to the floor of the van, falling from reality as complete darkness overtook him._

The only thing Leo found himself the least bit grateful for was that this drug didn't leave him feeling sick to his stomach as he fully regained consciousness, shutting his eyes against the flashes of light. That was the least of his worries. He was more concerned with the straps that covered his wrists, ankles, and chest. The cold metal against his skin was biting to his cold blooded system.

Large metal doors swung open, admitting him and those pushing him into a large room. They stopped at the center, his table being pushed vertical before the men left him alone.

Leo peered around the room, taking in the yellowed tiled floor, the bare white balls, the gleaming silver tables near the far wall covered with their sharp little instruments. He swallowed thickly, bracing himself to be ready. Bishop would come striding through those doors at any moment, most likely to dissect him, to use him to advance his super soldiers more than he already had. He could not and would not give the mad man any advantage if he could help it.

His gaze drifted down to the straps around his right wrist, fingers flexing, wrist twisting. If he could just get his wrist free, he could get the rest of himself free and get himself out of here. As much as he wished for his brothers to mount a rescue, he couldn't bear to put his brothers in danger if he was the bait, to risk putting them in the same situation as he was now in.

The doors hissed open behind him, stilling his movements. Footsteps lightly pounded the tile as they rounded the vertical table, the form of Bishop striding confidently to one of the gleaming silver tables sitting merely four feet from him.

"Finally awake are we?" the man asked smoothly, giving him a sideways glance as he adjusted his dark glasses, receiving no answer to the obvious statement. "Well then, shall we begin?" Bishop asked coldly, fingers picking up one of the sharper objects, a scalpel if Leonardo remembered right from Don's inventory of tools back home.

Leo glared at the man, keeping his silence. He would die with his honor intact if it came to that. He would not spill his family's secrets just to make the pain and torture stop.

Bishop crossed the room to a cabinet, pulling the door open and pulling out a brow burlap sack, using the scalpel to cut some of bottom off as he walked back to the turtle. "For once you are worth more to me alive than in dissected pieces to further my research. However, rest assured, this will be no less painful," the man promised smoothly. An amused smirk crossed his mouth as he traced a small hole into the center of one side of the bag.

The scalpel was then set off to the side as Bishop's gaze came to rest on him. "History is a marvelous teacher. One can learn a lot from it, either good or bad depending on who is recounting the story." The man circled the table once, the turtle's eyes following him. "It also gives the most gruesome accounts of the tortures methods of warring nations. Some ingenious methods I must admit." He paused in his steps, facing the blue banded turtle with confidence. "You're one for history Leonardo. I'm sure you've read a few of them. Perhaps even the one we are about to test out today."

The sack was quickly placed over his head, the little hole in the bag landing just above his beak where his nose would be. Leo's brow furrowed as he searched through his mind, not able to link anything yet. He read many counts of history where prisoners of war were subjected to the worst of tortures that mankind could think of in his studies of war and tactics. Though nothing came to mind with a burlap bag. Bracing himself, he waited in tense silence, trying to figure out the man's game.

The table jerked backwards, quickly lowering the turtle to a horizontal position.

"Just remember, this can stop at any time," Bishop broke the silence once more, a slight smirk twitching across his lips.

"What's the catch?" Leo asked warily, fingers twitching slightly against the metal table.

"You'll find out when you're begging for mercy. Only then will you agree to the terms."

Leo frowned at the vague answer. What Bishop wanted could only be worse than he could think of.

A drop of water landed through the sack's hole, splashing his face. A minute in silence passed before another drop of cold water hit his beak. His brow furrowed in confusion. This couldn't possibly what he thought it was. "You're going to bore me to death with drops of water?" he asked incredulously, drawing upon historic knowledge. "Water torture is overrated, rarely used due to the time it took to actually work on its intended victim."

"Yes, though I believe the Chinese were certainly onto something," Bishop admitted as more drops fell in differing amounts of seconds passing between each drop. "That is why we are about to accelerate the process to get what I need."

As far as Leo could tell, the only thing that happened next was the drops falling faster across his face, unable to run off to the floor due to the burlap bag's rough, clingy material. However, this hardly hindered his breathing. He let out a silent sigh, shivering slightly as the drops became colder. He wasn't prepared for the table to drop underneath him twenty minutes later, a quiet hissing echoing through the silent room as he was dragged through the floor with a splash. Water crowded around him, covering him as he sank deeper, holding in what little breath he had taken in when a gasp had escaped him. The burlap bag clung to his face, seeming to close in around him as it stuck like glue to his reptilian skin.

Calming his racing heart, Leo forced himself to remain calm and hold his breath, eyes closing in concentration. He was no novice to holding his breath for long periods of time underwater. He could outwait Bishop if he focused enough.

Time continued to drag slowly by. He was no longer sure how long he had been under, his lungs were starting to tickle, a burning ache spreading across his chest. It continued to spread as time continued to dragged on. He willed his body to keep still even as he felt his muscle twitch in an effort to break free to the surface, yearning to reclaim much needed air.

Without warning, the table shot upward above the room's pool, stopping in mid air. Leo shook his head of the water, trying to take in a breath to soothe his burning airways, the soaked bag over his head making it almost impossible as his body squirmed and jerked, trying to shake the obstructing object from his head. Water shot down his lungs, dredging up lung wracking coughs.

"Breath through your nose," Bishop supplied calmly, with barely hidden interest.

Without thought, Leo obeyed the man's order, dragging air through the small hole in the burlap bag that allowed air to his beak, shuddering as his body stilled to a quiet shiver. In the quietness of the room, the only thing he could focus on was his breathing.

In… Out…. In… Out…

With a shake, the table went down again, a whip of air left in his lungs. He clung tightly to the little he had left and waited to be pulled back up, forcing his mind to retreat into mediation as he found his center of peace. His lungs burned with abuse from the first dunking, his body shaking as the water felt colder against his skin, catching his attention, pulling him from his focus ever so slightly. Fists clenched, he willed himself to remain still, to not give into the struggling that would certainly amuse the man standing above in the air that Leo now desperately longed for. Minutes dragged by, his lungs slowly burning like fire, a small gasp escaped his mouth, eyes shooting open, bubbles escaping to the surface as he was losing the hold on his little mouthful of air.

The cough came without warning, expelling the rest of the air from his lungs in a heartbeat before he could stop it. His body jerked, limbs flaring in an attempt to free themselves from the restraints holding him down. Primal fear tore through his mind as he sucked in more and more water.

No air…

A few moments longer and the table shot upwards again, resting above the water, this time turning vertical to aid in draining the water away. Leo continued to writhe and struggle, dragging in air through his nose, coughing air and water through his mouth, feeling it run down his chin and plastron, refusing the urge to gag on the water that continued to bubble up and out his throat. The heaving slowly stopped, leaving him drained and weak, unwilling to move as he just hung in the straps that held him tightly to the table.

"Results seem to confirm the effectiveness of inducing the process more quickly," Bishop mused to himself, tapping away somewhere off to Leo's left. The tap of key's hitting the keyboard the only sound in the room.

Leo refused to reward the man with a demand of explanation despite the curiosity clawing at his mind questioning the reason the man was attempting this process at all.

The table was dunked four more times, each one leaving Leonardo with only a mouthful of air with the speed and suddenness the table dropped between dunking. He thought he had prepared himself for the feeling of falling, each one still coming unexpected. Each time his body thrashed underneath the water against his will, continuing until he was dragged upwards and turned vertical.

Hovering above the water once more, Leo shivered from the cold, breathing the air slowly in and out through his nose. More shivers wracked his body, a sliver a fear crawling across his spine as he waited for the process to begin all over again. Seconds ticked by agonizingly slow. Still he kept silent, still unwilling to show weakness and beg for mercy from his enemy.

The table slowly turned horizontal. His muscles tensed, waiting for the drop into the water that never came. He let out a breath he had realized he had started to hold as he heard the grinding of gears beneath him, of doors slowly closing over the pool once more.

The splash to his face came without warning, causing a violent flinch to shake his frame. Another dropped from the ceiling, followed by another and another, each one in varying seconds, each one causing a violent flinch and shiver. Minutes dragged on. Leo could've sworn another hour or more dragged itself by as the drops continued to fall before they stopped all together.

"Subject is responding favorably to the treatment," Bishop's voice droned in the silence. "Step two is complete."

"What… do you want?" Leo finally rasped, his chest constricted with stress and residual fear. He tugged weakly at the restraints, certain that he could feel blood leaking from his wrists and ankles from his frantic struggles.

Bishop's shoes tapped against the tile as he approached the bound turtle. "Would you do anything to make it stop?"

Leo bit his lip, dreading another dunking. The doors whined beneath him as they slowly opened. Another shiver of dread overtook him before he could stop the feeble nod.

"A verbal answer if you will."

Leo screwed his mouth shut. He could not and would not answer. He would not allow himself to beg for mercy.

The table slowly dropped two feet, laying on the surface of the water, making him jump, trying to claw his way out of the restraints and away from the water as it were a monster about to devour him whole.

"Well?"

"…yes." The word stuck in his throat, burning him more than lack of air ever could at his display of weakness.

The table rose up, the doors sliding closed beneath him once more. The bag was ripped from his head, the light above forcing him to screw his eyes shut tightly.

"Not necessary. We are finished for today. Rest while you can Leonardo. The next treatment begins at dawn." Bishop walked around the table, smirk still in place as he made for the door. The footsteps paused for a moment. "That is to say you have five hours until O7:00."

Leo shuttered as the doors slammed shut, biting his lip as the guilt and shame seared through him. He had weakened. He had agreed, begged for mercy even if it was only just one shot, simple word whispered past his lips. Worse yet, he knew that he would do almost anything to keep from going through that again. To be stripped down to the primal sense and fear for survival. An unsteady breath blew past his lips as he tried to focus, tried to regain his strength and determination. He had to be prepared. He had to be strong. He had to at least get himself free from the restraints that bound him. Exhaustion pulled has his mind, dragging him down to the land of sleep before he could attempt to think his way out, the water torture continuing, even in his dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Raphael flew up the fire escape as soon as he emerged from the sewers, the darkness of night's shadows hiding his green skin from foreign eyes. Pent up energy raged through his muscles, urging him on. The day had dragged on much too slowly, worry for his brother consuming his every thought and action as he fought to keep his worry to himself rather than unload it upon his other brothers and show his own weakness. He was determined to keep his strength for both his and Leo's sake as well as the rest of the family.

Reaching the rooftop, he barely stopped to overlook the city from his high vantage point, sixty feet off the ground. Don and Mikey reached the rooftop a mere minute after he did, though no words were exchanged as the three of them regrouped upon the rooftop across from where the fight with the Foot had taken place. No words were necessary. They had already decided upon their course of action. With a nod from Raph, the three split up. Don took to the North, Mikey to the East, with Raph himself going West.

Raph's feet carried him swiftly across the rooftops, a scowl crossing his face as he thought on their first plan that was quickly thrown to the side.

_Crashes rang throughout the silent lair, the loud sounds of lamps falling, weights scattering, and a lone TV crashing to the unforgiving concrete floor did nothing to curb Raphael's __mounting __frustration and worry. __He should have done something more. He should've fought harder rather than falling to the Foot's hands._

_The commotion brought a form from the kitchen, the tired eyes of a wizened rat landing upon the turtle. "My son…"_

_Eyes narrowing, Raph forced himself to stay still __long __enough to avoid knocking more things over. It wasn't going to find Leo or bring the darkness __and safety__ of night any sooner. _

"_What has happened?" Splinter ventured forth, breaking the silence. Three pair of eyes locked with his fleetingly before breaking connection._

"_Leo's missing," Mikey confessed, slowly dropping down onto the old, tattered couch. He rubbed a hand across the back of his head, nervous eyes connecting with Splinter's once more. _

_Don pulled his staff off his back, leaning it against the wall by the lab on his way to the couch. Sitting next to his brother, he wrung his hands. "There's no trace of him Sensei. A few blood spots from a fight, but nothing conclusive showing it to be his. It… could be anyone's."_

_Splinter's worried frown deepened, though there was little surprise in his eyes, merely worry for a lost son. "Raphael?"_

_Raph blew out a breath and crossed his arms, leaning against one of the support pillars of their home. "Leo and I were out running like ya already knew when we spotted some Purple Dragons. We took care of 'em easy until one ran inta one of da shops. The Foot showed up inside, everythin' went downhill after that." His scowl deepened, eyes narrowing on the ground as he recounted what had happened that night. When he was finished, the lair remained silent as three pairs of eyes watched their Master once more. _

"_We must wait for the cover of darkness and restart the search for your brother anew." Splinter fell silent as he stroked his chin. "Donatello, you can… track your brother, correct?"_

"_Yes…" Don began hesitantly. "If he still has his shell cell on him, it would lead us straight to him."_

"_Can't you try Donny?" Mikey spoke up, locking eyes with his brother. "It can't hurt… even if it doesn't work." The last part was admitted softly, gaze falling to the ground. _

"_Of course," Don replied quickly, shooting off the couch and entering his lab, dropping down at his computers, fingers flying across the keyboard._

_Raph silently followed the rest of the family inside the lab, bracing himself for a letdown. He doubted this would work. Even if Leo still had his shell cell, what was to say the Foot hadn't blocked the signal or perhaps was using it to mislead them? He waited in grim silence as the minutes ticked by, avoiding the urge to __crowd__ around Don any more than he, Mikey, and Splinter already were. _

_A soft sigh broke the silence as the clattering sound of striking keys stopped. "There's no signal," Don admitted with defeat._

"_Nothing at all?" Mikey asked._

_Don shook his head and pushed his chair back, spinning it around to look at the others. __"Nothing."_

_Turning on his heel, Raph headed for the dojo and straight for his punching bag to let out the remains of his burning frustration. He knew they would have to manually search the city and wait for the cover of darkness to do so, but he didn't like it one bit._

Running from rooftop to rooftop now, Raphael's eyes searched every alleyway he crossed for any type of clue. Even a scrap of cloth from his brother's bandana would've been a sorely wanted hint that they were at least going in the right direction. As it was, his aim was to find a straggling Foot soldier. If he could find one, he could find his brother by weaseling out the information as he pleased. One lowly Foot flunky wasn't going to keep him from his brother any longer than it had already been.

Hours passed as he continued to work his way westward, searching each alley and rooftop with painstaking closeness. Nothing caught his eye as he searched, turning his mood more sour as each minute ticked by. Check-ins to both Mike and Don heralded the same result, only spurring him on to search harder before the sun once again would rise in the sky.

As dawn quickly approached, Raphael found himself perched on a high rooftop overlooking a hospital across the street. He blew out a breath as he watched the doors of the establishment that was built to help the very people that despised him and his brothers should they see them, let alone know they exist. It pained him to think that if his brother was hurt badly, a place like his could never help him. If Leo was too badly injured before they found him, they may not be able to save him.

Jumping to his feet with a growl, he pushed the thoughts from his mind. He refused to rely on optimism, but even he refused to follow those pessimistic thoughts any further. About to turn away from the hospital, the doors opened with three figures emerging from its depths, a Foot emblem barely visible on two of them. However, he couldn't mistake the short, black raven hair of the woman between the two men.

"Karai…" he hissed. Eyes narrowing further, he watched as they quickly walked down the street. He followed the trio on silent footsteps, leaping from rooftop to rooftop until they were three blocks from the hospital. He knew he couldn't afford a confrontation so close to where people would soon be constantly going in and out, even as his muscles quivered for a confrontation right that moment. His patience snapped halfway past the third block, as he found himself deftly making his way to the ground, blocking their path at the near mouth of an alleyway. His sai quickly found their way into his fingers.

The trio halted at the sight of his shadowed form, a restraining arm from Karai stopping the two ninja by her side.

"What have you done with him," Raph hissed, tightening his grip on his blades, barely repressing the urge to outright attack them on the spot.

"We have no one," one of the ninja returned harshly.

The turtle spun one of his sai through his fingers. "I hardly have time for this," he growled impatiently.

The other ninja again made an attempt to break forward before being stopped by Karai.

"Stand down," she spoke with soft authority to the two ninja who reluctantly obeyed.

Raph's eyes narrowed further, focusing on Karai as he barely registered the bruises on her face and the bandages that covered parts of her arms. "Where is Leonardo?"

"We do not have your brother Raphael," Karai answered patiently.

"I know you took him. Your _ninja_ attacked us in one of the shops. They were waiting for us. Of course you have him!" He took a step closer to accentuate his accusation further. He wouldn't let them off the hook so easily, especially when he knew what was at stake. He raised his right arm, poised to throw one of his sai should they give the wrong answer.

"I tell you the truth, we do not have your brother," Karai insisted, her voice carrying across the light wind in an almost pleading fashion. "But I know who does," she said quickly, watching the turtle's muscles quiver in anger.

"Who," Raphael ground out past clenched teeth. He should be running them through right now, not wasting time talking. "And you better not be lying."

"Bishop."

Raph scoffed. "You expect me to believe that?" he asked incredulously. "Last I checked Bishop didn't have any Foot flunkies working for him."

"We do _not _work for Bishop," one of the ninja spoke coldly. "We captured your brother, yes. Though we did not harm him, much to our displeasure."

"The aim was to get Mistress Karai back," the second ninja spoke once more. "No matter the cost."

"And the cost was my brother," Raph spat in annoyance.

"I never asked for this Raphael. I didn't mean to be captured by that man in the first place," Karai made an attempt to reason with him.

"Sure ya didn't. Just like you didn't mean for him to take my brother from yer flunkies either." With that said, Raph rushed forward, a right hook flying from his right hand, knocking the ninja to the right of Karai to the ground. A spinning round house kick had the other ninja jumping into the air before being forced to jump backwards out of the way of his sai. Another slash of his sai was blocked by the ninja's katana blade. Attacking with the other sai, the strike was blocked once again forcing Raph to pull away. Narrowing his eyes in frustration, he rushed forward, his right sai arching in a downward strike while the left sai moved forward for a low jab to the abdomen.

The ninja's blade blocked the turtle's first attack, using the motion to propel himself away from the second. He aimed for a cutting strike of his own that forced the turtle to jump upward, coming down in a round house kick that sent him crashing down the alleyway behind them.

Raph eyed the other ninja that had dared managed to stand back to his feet. This ninja drew a blade of his own, identical to the one the second ninja had. The turtle smirked, tightening his grip on his sai and shot forward, a right hook strike with his sai quickly blocked by the ninja's blade. His other sai feinted a jab to the side while he spun to the left, kicking the ninja in the other side with enough force to send him smacking into one of the alley walls.

Getting to his feet after looking at his unconscious buddy, he charged the turtle once more, slipping under the horizontal strike of the sai to knee the turtle in the gut. A quick slash to the left had blood dripping down the turtle's green skinned shoulder.

A growl pierced the near silent alley, Raph's eyes narrowing further as he dove for the man's middle, using both sai to feint an attack to the stomach. Crouching at the last second, he sprang up into a leaping kick that sent the ninja skidding across the pavement, stopping with a harsh thud next to the other ninja.

Harsh breaths left his mouth as he stood, fully turning towards Karai and leaping without a second thought. His lunge was side stepped, but not without a hit to her arm with the tip of his sai. Spinning to the left, he slashed again, barreling towards Karai who side stepped out his path again. He couldn't help but notice her slower movements. Smirking with intention to use that to his advantage, he upped the speed of his attacks and slashes, pushed by his fury of a missing brother and the Foot's involvement in it. An upper cut with his left sai had a wound reopening on her left arm, red blood staining the crisp white bandage from the hospital. Managing to duck his next two slashes, he leapt into a spinning kick that brought her feet out from under her.

Raph landed on top of Karai, the sharp tip of his left sai at her throat. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right now," he hissed harshly through clenched teeth. His muscles shook from the fight, his mind raging with anger, urging to follow through with his deadly train of thought even as his mind registered another set of footsteps racing towards them.

"Because with time I might be able to remember where Bishop took me," Karai hissed, eyes hard with determination. "That is where your brother is being kept. You will not find Bishop on your own. I'm sure you know that."

"We'll find a way." The tip of the sai bit deeper into pale flesh as the steel quivered in its owner's grip.

"Raph!" Don's voice rang out from the other end of the alley, his shadowed form quickly approaching.

His eyes never left Karai's gaze as he listened to his brother's footsteps coming closer, his muscles taut as he held the sai still.

"She has a point," Don breathed out through panting breaths. "Bishop is hard enough to find as it is. We can use all the help we can get."

"Even if it's the Foot?" Raph asked incredulously, chancing a look up at his brother.

"Only if it's necessary," Don admitted. "I can try on my own, but it'll take time."

With a growl, Raph got to his feet, roughly shoving Karai away and stalking a few feet away from the woman. "After we find Leo, she and I are having words. And there's nothing you can say that will stop me Donatello."

"I know. I don't intend to."

Karai slipped to her feet, holding her bandaged and now bleeding right arm. She nodded her head in understanding of the threat.

"If you think of anything, I'm sure you'll find a way to contact us," Don spoke pointedly to Karai.

She gave a nod. "I promise."

"We don't need your promises Karai," Raph spat as he stalked away, Don following right behind him. Once out of earshot, he narrowed his eyes on his brother. "I coulda finshed her off."

"Yes, you could've, but then there would be another lead to Leo out the window," Don answered, a devious glint showing through his eyes.

"Ya just gonna trust her like that?"

"Not exactly. If she's telling the truth for once, we might be able to use it. However, if she's not, we'll know every place she goes." He held up his shell cell, an active blinking light showing on the screen, and one of his spare trackers. "I plan to hack into the system for a better look as well, but if she has Leo, she'll most likely be around him a lot doing who knows what."

A smirk slowly grew across Raph's face. "I like the way you think."

Don returned the smirk and gestured towards the east. "Let's find Mikey and do some digging."

A better plan in mind so far, Raph headed after Mikey with Don, cracking his knuckles as he walked. Whatever way this turned out, he meant what he said. He and Karai were having words about this soon down the road. Even if Bishop did have Leo, Raph didn't take the Foot's involvement lightly. They would pay their part of the problem.


End file.
